Hawthorn star Tom Barrass has backed Essendon skipper Zach Merrett to explore a trade if the Bombers skipper wants to do so.
Merrett met with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell in early September, with talks the 251 gamer might request a trade away from the club he's currently the captain of.
With just three days left of the trade period, Barrass, who was traded from the Eagles to the Hawks last year, has backed Merrett to move clubs if he wants.
“It’s certainly a big move, and it takes a lot of thought, for sure,” Barrass told The Age.
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“I’d imagine Zach spent 12 years waking up at 6 am every day contributing to the [Essendon] footy club, and he’s well within his rights to try and explore his options as a professional."
“Like Sam [Mitchell] has been saying, hopefully that’s at the Hawks. But who knows where it’s going to be?
“I can’t read the trade period; it all seems very uncertain. I wish him all the best, and I think it’s very much up to him.”
Barrass added that the trade period will see more player movement, and it should be embraced by everyone involved.
“The landscape’s changed a little bit the last few years... Free agency and a bunch of rules around trades has sort of incentivised player movement."
“I think we’ll see more and more of it, like we do in some of the American sports.
“I think it’s great. It’s just a part of the game now, and it needs to be embraced.”
The trade period has three days left and will end at 7:30 pm on Wednesday night.